2026 WINNER

Mónica Ramírez

Justice for Migrant Women

Justice for Migrant Women ensures migrant women have guaranteed human and civil rights, including dignity at work, freedom from violence, and the ability to migrate safely.

Mónica Ramírez is an attorney, author, and activist fighting for the rights of farmworkers,  migrant women workers, and the Latine(x) community. She is the founder of Justice for Migrant  Women and Raizado Festival, a cultural and leadership festival that takes place in Aspen, Colorado. She is also the co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, The Latinx House, and Poderistas.

Mónica has received numerous awards, including Harvard Kennedy School’s first  Gender Equity Changemaker Award, Feminist Majority’s Global Women’s Rights Award, the  Smithsonian’s 2018 Ingenuity Award and the Hispanic Heritage Award. Mónica was named to  Forbes Mexico’s 100 Most Powerful Women’s 2018 list, TIME Magazine included her in its  2021 TIME100 Next list and People en Español recognized her as one of the 100 Most Powerful  Latinos in 2021. 

Mónica is also an inaugural member of the Ford Global Fellowship. She serves on the  Board of Directors of the National Women’s Law Center and Care in  Action.

Mónica is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, The Ohio State University’s Moritz  College of Law and Harvard Kennedy School. She lives in Ohio with her husband and son.